By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For all teams, sports writers wonder if they have the horses to contend. For conference titles. For postseason hardware.
And so when looking at the roster of the Nixa High School wrestling teams, it’s easy to dream about what could be. In March 2022, the boys placed third in Class 4 just one year after a fourth-place finish. The girls were the state runner-up.
Start with the boys then. Is a top four finish in the cards?
“In Class 4, you have to have some real hammers, where in Class 3 you need to have 10 to 12 pretty good solid kids,” Nixa coach Dustin Martin said. “It’s not out of the question. We can do it. We’ve just got to have several more guys this year step up.”
Projected roster
Martin anticipates 55 wrestlers on the roster at the start of the season. On the boys side, that includes five returning state qualifiers, including senior Zan Fugitt.
That’s where anyone has to start when talking about Nixa. Fugitt is the No. 5-ranked wrestler in the country as he heads into a winter where he could compete at 132 pounds.
This summer, Fugitt competed for USA Wrestling’s world championship team in Rome, Italy. To get there, he won the U.S. national tournament and also competed in the Pan-Am Championships.
A University of Oklahoma commit, he is a two-time state champion.
“We’ve had a lot of great guys come through here, and no disrespect to them, but he’s probably the best ever from Nixa,” said Martin, now in his 15th season, 14th at Nixa, where the Eagles have seen 11 state champions, 70 state qualifiers, 36 state medalists and earned three team trophies.
To challenge Fugitt, Martin has lined up the Ironman Tournament in Ohio in mid-December. Fugitt placed third there last year.
“That’s one of the two or three toughest (tournaments) in the country,” Martin said.
Nixa’s roster also features seniors Nate Brower and Avery Rutherford, and juniors Aidan Ward and Brennan Carey. All were state qualifiers last season.
Carey placed third last season at 195 pounds. He gives Nixa a double headliner, considering this summer he was a national champion in Greco-Roman at the Fargo Nationals. His strength is hand-fighting.
“It’s definitely a gift of his,” Martin said. “If he had his choice, he would choose to wrestle Greco-Roman.”
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Look for Ward at 138 pounds.
“We needed him to step up last year and he did,” Martin said. “I think he’d be selling himself short if he didn’t bring home a medal this year.”
Brower could compete at 150 or 157.
“He’s a football player and a starting linebacker,” Martin said. “He definitely put in the time this summer.”
Rutherford could be at 175.
“His motor is unbelievable,” Martin said. “He wears people down.”
A few incoming freshmen will need to supply points, but they are used to tournament atmospheres, considering they competed for Nixa’s youth club over the past few years. Those are Tobias Thompson, Brayden Parks, Curtis Glossip, Dylan Terry and Tyler Stankewitz.
Nixa Girls
Just months after finishing as the state runner-up, the Nixa High School girls wrestling team should be a contender again.
However, Coach Martin wonders if the road just became much more complicated. MSHSAA recently decided to turn the one-class state tournament into a two-class format.
“I think it hurts us,” Martin said. “Now if you have two individual state champions, you don’t carry as many points. I was vocal against it more than others.”
That said, the Nixa girls have some firepower. Junior Brenya Crahan is a two-time state champion. Sophomore Cali Dupree was a state runner-up, and junior Taelor Dorr was a state qualifier last season.
Many eyes will be on Crahan, who could compete at 125 pounds or 130 pounds.
“She’s definitely the leader of our team,” Martin said. “We put quite a bit of pressure on her. Now that you have won two (state titles), you want to win two more. And Nixa has never had a four-time state champion.”
Dupree’s only loss last year was to Haley Ward, a Super Elite wrestler.
“She wrestles like a more physical boy,” Martin said of Dupree.
Dorr is an unknown going into the season. A lingering shoulder injury may led her to decide to sit out the season, Martin said.
A few incoming freshman – all with youth club experience in USA Wrestling – could make an impact. They are Ava Hansen, Addison Harkins, Brylee James, and Mylee Harper.
